There are a couple of one-man cottage industries in town trying to make something happen on the cultural front. One of them is photographer William Bragg — a well-traveled early 40-something, calmed-down former misfit who is now raising his son with his partner here in Salem.
Bragg has lived in Japan, China, the Phillipines, and Indonesia, and has squatted on the streets of New York City, but now that he’s in Salem for good, he’s determined to make this town a cool place for his son Liam to grow up. By day he works as associate director of the Willamette Academy, a non-profit that prepares historically under-represented teenagers for academic life at college.
The Salem Project started out as a way to market his own work, but as Bragg becomes increasingly interested in promoting artists across media, it’s grown to include the work of other people creating stuff locally.
This year’s issue of the self-published volume includes work some interesting food culture photography by Nate Rafn (you might know him from my previous post on his underground supper club), and some charming portraits by Elizabeth Bauman.
It also features some haunting images of my favorite freaky-deaky place in Salem, the State Hospital, by Bragg himself.
You can pick it up for 10 bucks at locations throughout town, including the WU bookstore, Hallie Ford Museum, Coffee House Cafe, Venti’s, and Cafe Noir.
Hey! I won’t be early 40-something until this July!! I’m still “I just turned 40″ !
Thanks so much for the post.
Notice Mr. Bragg does not take issue with the description of him as a former misfit. Cheeky cultural producer!